Howdy fellow tree enthusiasts!

I was wondering if anyone had any hints or tips on how to best run a potted tree farm? I'm the Director of Aggie Replant (http://replant.tamu.edu), an environmental service project at Texas A&M down in College Station. For 13 years, we've grown our own trees from seedlings from the Forest Service and planted them on public grounds.

Just this spring, we moved our tree farm closer to campus, and before it gets too settled in its ways, I would like to make sure that we're doing everything right, and organic, if possible. Most of us students are not forestry majors, neither do we have much experience in the garden.

What we have so far is about 400 trees (Bald Cypress, Live Oak, Shumard Oak, Sawtooth Oak, and I think a few more varieties) in 2 to 15 gallon containers. The contaniers are lined up in rows on top of a weed barrier. We've installed the new drip system, and have the drip lines in each pot, fairly close to the trees. Due to infrequent watering in years past thanks to an unreliable drip system, most of the trees are a bit stunted, but they're getting better. My questions are:

1) what's the best bang-for-the-buck method of fertliizing these trees? We have money to spend, but we can't really do anything more than a hundred bucks a month.

2) I realize now that the weed barrier should not be covering the ground, but shoud instead be inside the pots underneath a layer of much. What should we use to cover the ground with instead? Our old farm had a tarp/canvas type thing. Where would be a good place to get some material like that?

3) Should we use any special type of mulch?

4) How often should we water the trees? For how long?

5) Anything else we should keep in mind?

Thanks so much for any help you can give us!

Thanks and Gig 'em!

Casey

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Director
Aggie Replant
http://replant.tamu.edu

Glad to see you're interested in doing it the right (organic) way.

There's a lot of basic care here that applies to potted as well as planted trees: http://www.dirtdoctor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1018

To look at your specifics-

1) MY dry fertilizer of choice is Bioform Dry. Normally that's done on the lawn, but divided among 400 potted trees, you might do well with a 40lb sack of that every other or every three months. They are 40 lb bags, so that's roughly .1 lbs per tree. The bags tend to run $17-$20. Part two of this would be to spray foliar feed on them every other week. Youcan get pre-made Garrett Juice from many local stores, or you can make your own mix. I like to add a touch of extra seaweed to mine. Spraying them every 2 to 4 weeks will help them a lot.

2) Check the business directory on Howard's main page for supplies like this. Most feed stores will have this sort of thing.

3) I wold avoid cypress mulch, or pine bark nuggets. Good ones include any shredded hardwood and I prefer Cedar and/or Eucalyptus.

4) You're going to have to break watering down by type. Some of those trees liek more water than others. I think the Cypress will like a tad more water, the Shumard will like less. Just find a setting that doesn't let them dry out badly but at the same time doesn't drown them.

5) Try to make sure they do not get planted too deep and if pissible keep the mulch from actually piling on the trunks. Check around the forum for the many talks regarding making sure the tree's root flare is not buried.

Good luck!

_________________
Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.

I'm a big fan of cedar mulch. It's a little more expensive, but worth it. And it will help keep the bugs away.

The cypress will require more water. It likes to be "wet" but not soggy.

Thanks so much for your replies. We're still in the process of getting everything finalized, but once it's finished, I'll post a link to pictures of the new tree farm.

Casey

_________________
Director
Aggie Replant
http://replant.tamu.edu

Casey
Thanks very much for joining our discussion group. One thing for certain that you may already understand is that trees are the easiest of all plants to grow with organic techniques. Use compost, cedar mulch on top of the compost and the trees will do well. To push them, use any of the organic fertilizers at 20 lbs per 1000 sq ft twice a year on the entire field. The inexpensive short cut is to use dry molasses at 10 lbs per 1000 sq ft. Although you'll have to keep this quiet there in the belly of the beast, put out some lava sand. Use at least 40 lbs per 1000 sq ft in small areas and at least 1 ton per acre for larger production. Call me - I'd like to talk.

Casey

Is there a way we can find out how you decide to make trees available?

I live in Lake Dallas along Lake Lewisville. I come from up north where trees along the lakes is the norm. Part of Ray Roberts has this kind of look and just makes the lake much prettier. Our section of the lake could use some more trees I have been trying to plant cuttings in my backyard from my bald cypress for over a year without any luck.

If you would share, thanks.

Paul

Unfortunately, since our trees come from the National Tree Trust, we must plant all our trees on public property. We grow the trees at the tree farm to plant each year on Replant Day. We coordinate the volunteer effort to plant the trees in parks, public buildings, schools, etc..... Also, it's a bit of a drive from College Station to the Dallas area, so unless we had a U-Haul to keep the trees sheltered from the windburn, they might not survive the trip. Bald Cypresses are finicky trees to grow, in my experience. They need a lot of water, and we've never tried growing them from cuttings. Not that it can't be done, but it might be a bit difficult.

If you have any more questions, you might check out our website at http://replant.tamu.edu

Good luck!

Casey

_________________
Director
Aggie Replant
http://replant.tamu.edu